Britten: Saint Nicolas, Hymn to St Cecilia & Rejoice in the Lamb Stephen Cleobury, Andrew Kennedy, Britten Sinfonia and The Choir of King's College, Cambridge

• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976): Saint Nicolas:
• 1 Saint Nicolas: I. Introduction 05:35
• 2 Saint Nicolas: II. The Birth of Nicolas 02:43
• 3 Saint Nicolas: III. Nicolas devotes himself to God 04:33
• 4 Saint Nicolas: IV. He journeys to Palestine 08:18
• 5 Saint Nicolas: V. Nicolas comes to Myra and is chosen Bishop 07:01
• 6 Saint Nicolas: VI. Nicolas from Prison 02:58
• 7 Saint Nicolas: VII. Nicolas and the Pickled Boys 06:42
• 8 Saint Nicolas: VIII. His piety and marvellous works 05:03
• 9 Saint Nicolas: IX. The Death of Nicolas 06:35
• Hymn to Saint Cecilia:
• 10 Hymn to Saint Cecilia 10:24
• Rejoice in the Lamb:
• 11 Rejoice in the Lamb 16:24
• Total Runtime 01:16:16

Info for Britten: Saint Nicolas, Hymn to St Cecilia & Rejoice in the Lamb

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge under conductor Stephen Cleobury presents Britten’s enchanting choral masterpiece, Saint Nicolas, with Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb, celebrating 100 years since Benjamin Britten’s birth. The recording features soloist Andrew Kennedy, a former Choral Scholar at King’s College, Cambridge, the renowned Britten Sinfonia, Sawston Village College Choir and Cambridge University Musical Society.

Director of Music, Stephen Cleobury, said: “I am delighted to have been able to record Saint Nicolas in King’s. The cantata was written in the year I was born, and I have known it and performed in it in various roles since I was a teenager. Britten’s links with King’s were strong; he frequently visited EM Forster in the College, and my two predecessors, David Willcocks and Philip Ledger, both worked closely with the composer.”

This was the first recording on the King’s College own label to be released in surround sound, capturing the unique acoustics of King’s College Chapel. The two-disc package comes with a standard CD and an SACD containing high definition stereo and 5.1 surround mixes.

"This new disc is the first occasion on which these pieces have been recorded in the SACD medium, and demonstrates the extra aural nuances that surround sound can provide, although, surprisingly, the organ is more recessed than many performances of Rejoice in the Lamb. The Choir of King s College, Cambridge under conductor Stephen Cleobury presents Britten s enchanting choral masterpiece Saint Nicolas, with Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb, celebrating 100 years since Benjamin Britten s birth." (Barry Forshaw, CD Choice)

"There are other competing interpretations already in the catalogue, but this one, conducted by Stephen Cleobury, delivers a particularly thrilling, emotionally charged impact. The Britten Sinfonia is an apt choice for the orchestral contribution, and not just because of its name: the playing is alert, crisp and brimful of character in the illustrative scene-painting, St Nicolas s sea journey to Palestine being a notable but by no means isolated case in point. Tenor Andrew Kennedy is a fervent saint, voicing his faith and selfless devotion with strength and sensitivity, and the choral singing is first-rate." (The Telegraph)

"Certainly this is the most satisfying recording since the first version over half a century ago" (Music Web International)

"One of the last releases of the Britten centenary year, this beautifully recorded new version of Saint Nicolas is a knock-out. Freshness is the keyword Kennedy s bright-toned tenor alongside the Pickled Boys is an especial delight. Generously coupled with attractive readings of Hymn to St Cecilia and Rejoice in the Lamb, this is a very special offering." (Classical Music)

Andrew Kennedy, tenor
Stephen Cleobury, organ
The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Britten Sinfonia
Stephen Cleobury, conductor

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